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How to Get out of a Spring Fling Relationship

By Candice Coleman

Ending your relationship in person is ideal.

A stress-free romance may have been everything you needed and wanted -- until now. Though ending a short-term relationship may be less difficult than ending a long-term one, a breakup can still be painful. While you cannot keep your partner from feeling any pain, there are ways to end your spring fling relationship gracefully.

Prior to the Breakup

Maybe the single life is starting to look appealing, or you see nothing in the future for your spring fling. Before you call it quits, it is important to spend time thinking about your decision and practicing how you plan to break the news. If you end things, view it as permanent -- odds are that your one-time romantic interest will not be open to a reconciliation in the future, according to the TeensHealth article "How to Break Up Respectfully." If you are ending the relationship due to issues that could be resolved, consider whether the work is worth the effort. If conflicts go unresolved, trust is permanently broken or you stay with the other person merely to keep the peace, it may be time to call it quits, according to the University of Georgia Health Center article "Ending a Relationship."

Calling It Off

Meet in person when you call it quits. You might say something along the lines of "I have thought a long time, and I have come to the difficult decision that I no longer want to go forward with our relationship," according to Susan Heitler, Ph.D., in the "Psychology Today" article "Breaking Up is Hard to Do, so Here's a 6-Step How-To." Avoid blaming or insulting the other person in the process -- an ended relationship can often be wounding enough.

Concerns and Complications

You may want to call, text or email your breakup notice, but this should be avoided, according to health writer Denise Mann in the WebMD article "How to Break Up Gracefully." Calling to break up may be acceptable if you and your spring fling partner are long distance. Be wary of making any promises you cannot hold up in the future. If you say that you still want to be friends, or that you want no contact after the breakup, you should follow through with those plans, according to the University of Georgia Health Center's "Ending a Relationship."

Moving On

Although you ended the relationship, it is normal to still feel grief and sadness after breaking up. Spend this time writing down the positive and negative aspects of that spring fling -- it can help you as you enter relationships in the future, according to Mann's WebMD article. Getting involved in old hobbies and pursuits, staying busy at work and school, and spending plenty of time with your family and friends can also help you shake the post-breakup blues.